STREAMY

I love being able to stream upcoming albums. Who doesn't? In the last few days, I've listened to four of them that way...

Merge Records is an example of how to market music the right way. Not only do they stream upcoming albums, they continue to stream them once they are released. They make their music available at eMusic and other online retailers and they will add bonus discs as an incentive for the actual CDs. The fact they have a fanstastic lineup of bands helps too. Over the weekend I listened to new Imperial Teen, Oakley Hall, and Shout Out Louds. All of them are really good records and the last two could end up in the running for the best album of the year when it's all said and done. Imperial Teen's The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band comes out tomorrow; the other two will be released on Sept. 11. Go the the website and give them a listen; I will soon be downloading them.

You can also hear the new Rilo Kiley album, Under the Blacklight, at their MySpace. It comes out tomorrow as well. It's a different sound for them and I need to listen to it a few more times to get a handle on it. Chances are I won't be picking it up anytime soon, for a number of reasons. But it's still worth checking out.